Lawmakers Gone Wild

After an arrest for DUI, revelation that he fathered a bastard child with a former Air Force officer, and public shame and humiliation, U.S. Rep. Vito Fossella, R-NY, has decided to not run for reelection, according to a report by the Associated Press published by Talking Points Memo.

What has not been reported is which family he plans to spend more time with.

Fossella, 43, has admitted to fathering a daughter with a Virginia woman.

The congressman's secret relationship with the woman, Laura Fay, was revealed after he was arrested for drunken driving May 1. Fossella was stopped after running a red light, and he told officers he was going to see his sick daughter, according to police.

Fossella is married with three children. The family lives on Staten Island.

He has served in Congress since 1997, representing Staten Island and part of Brooklyn. He is the only Republican member of Congress from New York City.

It was Fay who got him out of jail after the arrest. She is a former Air Force lieutenant colonel and worked for a time as a liaison to Congress.

After his arrest, police said Fossella's blood-alcohol level was twice the legal limit, and he could face a mandatory five days in jail if convicted. A court appearance on the drunken driving arrest is scheduled for next month.